GREETING CARD ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES 2019 LOUIE AWARD WINNERS

NEW YORK — May 20, 2019 – The Greeting Card Association (GCA) announced the winners of its 2019 “LOUIE Awards,” the International Greeting Card Awards Competition, at the 30th annual celebration on Sunday, May 19th. The event was held in conjunction with the inaugural Noted: The Greeting Card Expo.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the LOUIE Awards, the celebration was moved from its usual location in downtown NYC to booming Brooklyn. Benefitting from a fresh new venue (26 Bridge) and a brand-new show (Noted), this year’s LOUIEs event was a welcome mix of fresh new faces and familiar industry friends.

“There’s nothing like the genuine and lasting connection you get from receiving (and sending) a greeting card,” said GCA Executive Director Peter Doherty. “But consumers’ tastes are constantly changing, and greeting card makers continue to evolve and respond.. The wide variety of product submitted during this year’s LOUIE Awards campaign is proof that card companies are always looking to innovate. We look forward to seeing the latest innovations this fall” he said.

The evening’s highest honors went to: Calypso Cards (Card of the Year, $4 and Below) and UWP Luxe (Card of the Year, Above $4.00). It was also announced that Quilling Cards was honored with the 2019 Judge’s Award for Excellence. And finally, Texas-based KB Paperie was named the 2019 “Rising Star.” A complete list of the 2019 LOUIE Award winners is available now at https://greetingcard.secure-platform.com/a/. The winning cards were also on display at Noted: The Greeting Card Expo through the end of the event.

The 2020 LOUIE Awards Celebration will move to San Francisco, CA, along with Noted: The Greeting Card Expo. The card submission period will open in early September.

History, Criteria and Lifetime Achievement Award

Launched in 1988, the “LOUIEs” honor Louis Prang, the German-born Boston lithographer and publisher known as the “Father of the American Christmas Card.” Nearly 200 companies submitted hundreds of entries in 55 categories in this year’s competition. Seventy-four companies had at least one card advance to the finalist round. The LOUIE Awards are open to all publishers in the U.S. and throughout the world. While GCA members receive a reduced entry fee, any publisher who marketed and sold cards in the U.S. in 2018 is eligible.

A panel of 19 industry experts comprised of retailers, publishers and designers judged entries against five criteria: originality, impact, design excellence, “sendability,” and value; all identifying information about the entrant was withdrawn from the entries. A Blue-Ribbon Panel of five judges selected the “Cards of the Year” and chose to honor the “Judge’s Award for Excellence” from among all categories.

“In addition to the judges, the LOUIE Chair Fern Gimbelman (Designer Greetings) and our fantastic sponsors are the unsung heroes of the LOUIE Awards,” said Doherty.

“Whether it’s a financial contribution or an in-kind donation, each and every sponsor plays an important role in supporting the LOUIEs,” said Doherty. “On behalf of the GCA Executive Committee and Board, our thanks to: American Greetings, Designer Greetings, Hallmark Cards, Universal Presentation Concepts, Quilling Card, Avanti Press, The Occasions Group, and our media sponsors, Stationery Trends and Gifts and Decorative Accessories.”

For the tenth year, Universal Presentation Concepts designed the display showcasing winners and finalists. The LOUIE winners and finalists are on display at Noted through May 20th at the Brooklyn Expo Center.

The Consumer’s Choice Award voting for 2019 will begin on May 20th. Consumers can find out how to vote for their favorite cards by visiting our LOUIE Awards Facebook page through June 7 and one lucky voter will receive a selection of the winning cards. The winner of the Consumer’s Choice Award, the final LOUIE Award for 2019 will be announced later this summer and honored at the 2020 LOUIE Awards celebration. All LOUIE winners are posted at www.greetingcard.org. For information on GCA membership, contact gca@greetingcard.org. Listed below are the 2019 LOUIE Award Winners.

Category

Company Name

Announcements and Photo Cards > $4.00 and Below

Minted

Announcements and Photo Cards > Above $4.00

Cards & Pockets

Baby > $4.00 and Below

Calypso Cards

Baby > Above $4.00

E. Frances Paper

Birthday > General > $4.00 and Below

Gift Card Impressions, LLC

Birthday > General > Above $4.00

Up With Paper

Birthday > Humorous > $4.00 and Below

Avanti Press

Birthday > Humorous > Above $4.00

417 Press

Birthday > Small Company

Ilootpaperie

Blank Card > All Submissions (not divided by price)

Up With Paper

Children’s Card > $4.00 and Below

Designer Greetings

Children’s Card > Above $4.00

Up With Paper

Christmas/Seasonal > Boxed Set > $2.00 and Below

Minted

Christmas/Seasonal > Boxed Set > Above $2.00

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

Christmas/Seasonal > General > $4.00 and Below

Think Of Me

Christmas/Seasonal > General > Above $4.00

UWP Luxe

Christmas/Seasonal > Humorous > $4.00 and Below

Ohh Deer LTD

Christmas/Seasonal > Humorous > Above $4.00

417 Press

Congratulations/Special Occasion > $4.00 and Below

Designer Greetings

Congratulations/Special Occasion > Above $4.00

UWP Luxe

Everyday Boxed Set > All Submissions (not divided by price)

Galison

Father’s Day > $4.00 and Below

Calypso Cards

Father’s Day > Above $4.00

Steel Petal Press

Friendship/Encouragement > General > $4.00 and Below

Calypso Cards

Friendship/Encouragement > General > Above $4.00

UWP Luxe

Friendship/Encouragement > Humorous > $4.00 and Below

Shannon Martin Designs

Friendship/Encouragement > Humorous > Above $4.00

Elum Designs

General Invitations > All Submissions (not divided by price)

Alpine Creative Group

Get Well / Feel Better > $4.00 and Below

Designer Greetings

Get Well / Feel Better > Above $4.00

UWP Luxe

Halloween > $4.00 and Below

Calypso Cards

Halloween > Above $4.00

Friendly Fire Paper

Letterpress

Porchlight Press

LGBTQ > All Submissions (not divided by price)

UWP Luxe

Most Humorous

Warren Tales

Mother’s Day > $4.00 and Below

Rhino Parade

Mother’s Day > Above $4.00

Minted

Non-Religious Celebrations > $4.00 and Below

Calypso Cards

Non-Religious Celebrations > Above $4.00

Seedlings

Print and Production Excellence

UWP Luxe

Religious Celebrations > $4.00 and Below

Designer Greetings

Religious Celebrations > Above $4.00

Calypso Cards

Rising Star

KB Paperie

Romantic Occasions > $4.00 and Below

Calypso Cards

Romantic Occasions > Above $4.00

Elum Designs

Superbly Stated

Paper Epiphanies

Sympathy > $4.00 and Below

Biely & Shoaf Co.

Sympathy > Above $4.00

E. Frances Paper

Thank You > $4.00 and Below

Laura Sherratt Designs LTD

Thank You > Above $4.00

Calypso Cards

Valentine’s Day > $4.00 and Below

Calypso Cards

Valentine’s Day > Above $4.00

Elum Designs, Inc.

Wedding Invitation Suite > Deluxe > Classic Printed

Binding Love (by Hadron Epoch)

Wedding Invitation Suite > Deluxe > Modern Printed

Minted

Wedding Invitation Suite > Standard > All Submissions

Indigo Envelope

Card of the Year > $4 and Below

Calypso Cards

Card of the Year > Above $4

UWP Luxe

Judge’s Award for Excellence

Quilling Card

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Founded in 1941, the GCA is supported by nearly 200 American and international publishers from businesses ranging from start-ups to established companies of all sizes, scopes and industry tenure — as well as suppliers that provide production services and wholesale product distribution.